What would be most likely target of Al Qaeda nuke?

Upon reading a news article (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1856&e=17&u=/cpress/al_qaida_nuclear) saying Al Qaeda acquired a suitcase nuke in central Asia, I wondered: If they've got one, where would they use it?

New York or Washington D.C. maybe atop their wish list, but for practical and tactical reasons, a European city may be more likely. (The Madrid bombing definitely influences my thinking here. Nuking Europe may have even more desirable political fallout.)

Any thoughts?

(An aside: how come real estate in Manhattan keeps going up after 9/11? Is it human psychology to deny that a threat exists?)

They would never want to do us enough of a favor to nuke DC. They would want to maximize loss of life and economic disruption, so it would have to be a major port and financial center.

Europe makes sense, too, though.

New orleans, it basically sits in a bowl, its an easy target, more people to kill, and it would destroy ALOT of commerce

The total lack of preparedness regarding international shipping is appalling.

Manhattan, Port of Oakland, LA....

This week, and on 60 minutes tonight the administration is going to get slammed

Watch, whenever the news starts to look bad for the administration, a story like this always appears

The department of misinformation is at work

I am sure the misinformation will get much worse. Just look at the hype that was being generated with the number two alqueda close to be captured. They are now backing down from that story

The only thing this administration can run on is fear.

This is an old story, at least three years old. I find it suspect that they should resurect it now

In retaliation for bunker-busting those caves in Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda has had to re-think the big picture after the Jihad did not materialize. My guess is they plan to drive a wedge between the EU and the USA and will be focusing their efforts in the EU.

Spain, Poland and Italy ALL in a matter of hours confirmed that they had been lied to by the Bush Administration. Other EU nations are pulling out of Iraq, even though they are not being as outspoken.

How could bombing ANY country in the Europe work to the advantage of the Coalition?
This whole thing is beginning to look the Israeli/Palestinian conflict where every time there is the faintest possibility of peace, a suicide bombing happens to derail it resulting in endless war.

The only thing that would gain the sympathy of the planet is if something truly terrible and totally unprecedented happened on US soil. The whole world rallied around the US the first time it did.

But even then, there are those - like before - who will argue that the US had it coming. (Falwell)
However, with the cuts that Bush has made to cities (which reduced emergency workers such as firemen) and the fact that the reserves are still overseas (and many are local law enforcement officers) the US CANNOT hope to survive any act of terrorism.

Bush has no more cards left to play.

Spain, Poland and Italy ALL in a matter of hours confirmed that they had been lied to by the Bush Administration.

In a matter of hours? Of what? Posting the yahoo story??????

Please explain.

How could bombing ANY country in the Europe work to the advantage of the Coalition?

Who said it would?

The only thing that would gain the sympathy of the planet is if something truly terrible and totally unprecedented happened on US soil. The whole world rallied around the US the first time it did.

Another reason to put a dirty bomb in an EU city rather than the US.

the US CANNOT hope to survive any act of terrorism.

No matter what idiot thing Bush does the US will survive an act of terrorism.


Just for giggles DD, what do you speculate Al Quada's plans are for the future.